Chairman Sanders Announces Senate

Veterans’ Affairs Committee Hearing

WAASHINGTON, Mar. 18 - Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will hold a committee hearing on March 20 entitled “VA Mental Health Care: Ensuring Timely Access to High-Quality Care.”

In February, the Department of Veterans Affairs released a comprehensive report on veterans who die by suicide. The report indicates that the percentage of veterans who die by suicide has decreased slightly since 1999, while the estimated total number of Veterans who have died by suicide has increased.

Witness List:

PANEL I

Jacob Wood, President and Co-Founder, Team Rubicon

Ms. Kim Ruocco, Director, Suicide Postvention Programs, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)

Mr. Andre Wing, Director of Vermont’s National Guard Outreach Program

LTC Kenny Allred, Lt. Col., USA (Ret.), Veterans and Military council Chair, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, President and Founder, Give an Hour

PANEL II

Dr. Robert Petzel, Under Secretary for Health

Dr. Janet Kemp, Director, Suicide Prevention and Community Engagement National Mental Health Program Office of Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration

Dr. Sonja Batten, Deputy Chief Consultant, Specialty Mental Health Office of Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration

Dr. William Busby, Acting Director, Readjustment Counseling Service and Regional Manager for Northeast Region

COL. Rebecca Porter, Chief, Army Behavioral Health

What: Committee hearing on mental health care for veterans

When: 10 a.m., March. 20, 2013

Where: 418 Russell, Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing room